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Traversing various up and down and some halts in production, traditional brocade weaving of the Khmer people in Van Giao commune in the southern province of An Giang’s Tinh Bien district has now been restored thanks to Khmer women’s great efforts and the timely attention and investment by local authorities.
Neang Nhay and Neang Sa Mol, two experienced Khmer artisans who have gained their fame in producing brocade fabrics in Bay Nui (seven mountains) region, said Van Giao is the cradle of Khmer people’s brocade weaving. The region covers some areas of the two districts of Tri Ton and Tinh Bien.
However, traditional brocade weaving disappeared as Khmer people evacuated to Soc Trang and Tra Vinh provinces because of the hostilities in the Vietnam-Cambodia border in the late 1970.
Returning to their homeland, a large number of the local Khmer women nursed an aspiration for restoring the craft.
Their ambition was repaid in the late 1990 when the Australia-based CARE organisation financed the women’s union of An Giang’s project on preserving the Van Giao craft village of brocade weaving.
Under the project, 57 weaving and thread-spinning looms, dyeing pots and other weaving instruments have been given to the local ethnic community in addition to the costs for dyeing and training courses on dyeing techniques and waste treatment.
Finally, Khmer ethnic women’s expectation of retaining the sustainable development of traditional brocade weaving came true in January 2002 when the Van Giao brocade weaving cooperative was established as a place for the artisans of the Bay Nui region to converge.
Right from its outset, the cooperative drew the participation of 84 members who received an initial combined investment of 116 million VND (5,471 USD) from local authorities to restart their traditional weaving.
The organisation, with a determination to stand firm in the market, always pays attention to improving weaving techniques and models, and combining traditional with modern factors in order to meet customers’ tastes and approach the international market, said Le Kim Kha, the head of the cooperative.
The society has made full use of the support from An Giang’s Department of Industry and Trade that annually offers one or two training courses on weaving and dyeing techniques, attending domestic fairs and even the same events in Cambodia to introduce brocade products and expand its market.
Furthermore, thanks to financing from the province and district’s budget, the cooperative launched a centre for the weaving craft village community and one showroom to display its members’ products.
In return for this assistance, female Khmer artisans have incessantly improved their weaving skills and created 50 vivid patterns.
The patterns featuring the traditional history and daily life of Khmer people in Vietnam include the images of the Great Buddha Sakyamuni and decorative multicoloured lanterns, which help increase the attractiveness and quality of brocade products.
Cooperative members also create 40 types of products such as handbags, hats, handkerchiefs, wallets, pillows and tablecloths, as well as shawls and “xa rong” (traditional clothing worn by Khmer people), meeting the demand of numerous customers.
The brocade fabrics of Khmer ethnic groups in the Bay Nui region, made of special silks from Bao Loc district in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, are eye-catching for tourists, especially foreigners.
In another bid to expand the market, brocade articles are also exhibited at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology and big hotels and tourist sites in Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Nha Trang and Ba Ria-Vung Tau, advancing towards international markets, namely the US, Germany and Cambodia.
The weaving of Van Giao brocade is light work, suitable for middle and old-aged women.
To date, the cooperative has attracted the involvement of 70 households with 143 members.
Brocade products are priced from 200,000 (9.4 USD) to 3 million VND (141 USD), not only adding an average monthly income of 2 million VND (94 USD) for each cooperative member but also helping them escape poverty and preserve their traditional cultural characters.
Brocade weaving of the Bay Nui Khmer people was established hundreds of years ago. Last year, the cooperative was granted a collective brand certificate by the National Office of Intellectual Property of Vietnam (NOIP) and recognised as a traditional small-scale industry by the An Giang People’s Committee.
Meanwhile, the Van Giao brocade also grabbed some awards from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development at the Vietnam Craft Village Fair, notably winning a prize at the 4th ASEAN Traditional Textile Symposium held in Thai Nguyen province in March this year.


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From the NY Times:
It wasn’t long ago that the residents and business owners of Beach 116th Street in Queens believed their neighborhood could be the Queens equivalent to Brooklyn’s Williamsburg or Long Island’s Long Beach — a place where Manhattanites would spend big salaries on new condominiums decorated with trinkets from local boutiques. It was not that far-fetched: new zoning rules, planned condo projects and attention from city officials made it seem possible.
Instead, a stretch of Beach 116th Street in Rockaway Park was identified in a recent report as having the highest proportion of abandoned retail storefronts of any shopping district in Queens. The report, by Representative Anthony D. Weiner’s office, found that 17 of 40 surveyed stores were empty.

domain: news


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Google was so busy creating a WhatsApp rival and a chatbot on steroids that it didn’t have any new Android N features to share with us during Wednesday morning’s Google I/O keynote. Instead, the company decided to introduce the first “beta-quality” build of the new mobile operating system. Plus, Google wants your input on what Android N should be named when it rolls out later this summer.
“Often the hardest part of creating an Android release is coming up with the name,” said Android engineering chief Dave Burke during the keynote. “And I have no idea why, but this year the ‘N’ dessert name is proving trickier than all of the others.”
Instead of racking their brains, or looking for another corporate partner, Google wants to crowdsource this year’s Android title. If you think you’ve got a good one, head over to android.com/n and submit your idea.
In addition to naming the release, anyone with a Nexus 5X, 6, 6P, 9, or Pixel C can visit Android.com/beta to join up to get the latest beta build of Android N as an over-the-air update. Be warned, however, that beta builds tend to be unstable. Even though Google says this build of Android N is fairly stable, remember that it’s still a beta—and you may regret installing it on your primary phone.
The Big Stuff
While nothing particularly new showed up during the Android N introduction at Google I/O, the company did spend some time highlighting the OS. This year’s Android release is all about three main categories: performance, security, and productivity.
We’ve already seen the productivity features in earlier developer previews, but here’s what Google is most excited about: Android N is going to change the way the “recents” button (the square) works to help make using your device more efficient. Instead of showing you what feels like an endless stream of recently used apps, Google will cut it down to around seven. Burke says the company’s research discovered that’s about as far back as most users are willing to go.
The “recents” button also has a new feature called Quick Switch. When you double-tap that square, Android will automatically switch back to the previously used app. This will allow you to move between apps rapidly, like when you’re consulting your calendar while on a phone call.
Google also showed off its split-screen window feature for phones and tablets, and the picture-in-picture mode for Android TV. There was also a brief look at the new notifications functionality that lets you reply to messages inside the notifications window shade.
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WELCOME TO The capital REPORT
Feature market insights and perspectives from top C-Level executives, elite technology influencers and thought leaders from your company here. This signature initiative has garnered immense support...
Financial Management, Fintech
PR Newswire | August 07, 2023
FullCircl, the Customer Lifecycle Intelligence (CLI) platform that helps regulated businesses do better business faster, today announced its full suite of APIs is now available on Google Cloud Marketplace. This partnership will empower more businesses to interact with the unique company information and business intelligence offered through the FullCircl CLI platform, enabling them to discover, onboard, and secure more customers.
FullCircl is available through the Partner Directo...
Financial Management, Payments
Businesswire | July 21, 2023
CSI, a leading provider of end-to-end fintech and regtech solutions, announced today its instant payments offering is live through the Federal Reserve’s FedNowSM Service. Enrollment is available now for CSI’s NuPoint® and Meridian core platform customers in line with the FedNow Service’s launch.
The FedNow Service is a new payment infrastructure that allows U.S. financial institutions (FIs) of all sizes to provide safe and efficient instant payment services...
Givex | December 13, 2022
Global fintech company Givex Corporation announced today the launch of its new website to showcase its elevated product offerings after acquiring four companies in 18 months.
Givex made the strategic acquisitions of Pi Cash Systeme, Kalex, Loyalty Lane and Counter Solutions, adding new products and capabilities to the already strong Givex product suite. Givex also went public in December 2021, creating a new audience of potential investors.
In addition to an u...
US bank | February 20, 2020
Fidelity Investments is to spin off its API-based data sharing startup Akoya as an independent entity that will be jointly owned by Fidelity, The Clearing House Payments Co. and eleven of its member banks Akoya operates a secure API network that creates a safer and more transparent way for consumers to grant access to their personal financial data to third-party financial apps. The approach provides a more palatable alternative to old-school screen scraping tools which rely on bank customers han...
Core Banking, Fintech
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ITC Will Review Patent Dispute Between Apple, Qualcomm
Law360 (December 13, 2018, 3:04 PM EST) -- The U.S. International Trade Commission will weigh in on an intellectual property dispute between Apple Inc. and Qualcomm Inc. over sales of iPhones found to infringe a Qualcomm patent, agreeing on Wednesday to reconsider whether the telecom giant's asserted patent is obvious and whether an import ban against the iPhones would be appropriate.
The ITC said in a notice that it would review some of now-retired Administrative Law Judge Thomas B. Pender’s September final initial determination, which had found that Apple infringed one claim in Qualcomm’s U.S. Patent Number 9,535,490, but not two other Qualcomm patents, U.S. Patent Numbers 8,698,558 and...
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(Bloomberg) — China’s economic slowdown deepened within the first two months of the yr pushing unemployment sharply better, elevating the stakes for the government’s cutting-edge stimulus approach. Industrial output rose 5.3 percent from a year earlier, the worst start to a year in view that 2009. Retail sales elevated 8.2 percentage, the slowest tempo for the reason that as a minimum 2012. On the upside, constant-asset investment picked up and property investment jumped. Key Insights The unemployment rate rose to 5.3 percent at the quit of February from 4.Nine percentage in December, the highest stage in years. Property investment jumped to eleven.6 percent boom, the best when you consider that November 2014. “The industrial manufacturing reading might be near the bottom,” Helen Qiao, leader Greater China economist at Bank of America Corp (NYSE:BAC). In Hong Kong told Bloomberg Television. “We assume that increase will stabilize and enhance within the 2nd region,” she said, adding that the development in belongings markets will buoy customer call for. “Today’s facts manner the economy will take an extended time to backside out as commercial manufacturing and consumption are nevertheless beneath strain despite the rebound in investment” and the worsening jobless price shows more easing guidelines to come back as coverage makers constantly placed employment at the first area, stated Liu Peiqian, Asia strategist at Natwest Markets PLC in Singapore. Get More Policy makers have signaled at some point of the ongoing annual countrywide legislature assembly that a debt-fueled funding growth gained’t be deployed to cushion the slowdown, and tax reductions could be the main awareness of stimulus.
There turned into no January facts because the National Bureau of Statistics combines readings for the first months of each year to smooth out volatility from the Lunar New Year holiday, when factories and corporations across the united states of america shut down.


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After the monumental launch of FIFA 22 which has already become a very successful release, EA is riding on a post-launch high.
However, the fundamental issues with FUT and the game model remain the same, mainly the microtransaction dependence and the heavy reliance on the Pay2Win model. These concerns seem to have some answers, according to Eurogamer, who recently sat down with EA’s Chief Experience Officer Chris Bruzzo to get responses to some of the community’s burning questions.
Hugely Improved FIFA But Same Issues at Heart
FIFA 22 has seen a substantial improvement in gameplay across the board. Career Mode has a new breath of life and Pro Clubs is actually fun this year! FUT and VOLTA continue improving and while the former already has millions of players engrossed in it, the latter is also developing a good fan following now.
However, the major issue that has been holding FIFA back from being universally acceptable still continues to exist in the game. The monetisation of FIFA and FIFA Ultimate Team is a major point of controversy for years and EA seems to have done almost nothing to address the debate.
When quizzed about it, Chris Bruzzo replied, “We have to recognise something like 100 million people played FIFA in some form or another last year. FIFA 21, the PC and console game, 30 million people played FIFA 21.”
“It seems obvious, but that’s a lot of people with very different motivations for playing and expectations for the game. And we have to do our best to serve as many of them as we can,” Chris continued.
“And the truth is, Ultimate Team is the most popular mode in FIFA. So, when you think about a mode that’s got tens of millions of players playing it pretty much all the time, first of all, we have a huge fan base of players who love the mode the way it’s set up today, and they love every aspect of it.”
The Presence of Loot Boxes
When questioned on why loot boxes are included at all, Chris implied that the idea is to mimic the real world into the FIFA games. EA Sport’s motto of “It’s in The Game” is a sentiment that the company sticks to and hence, the volatility of the world of football has been implemented through packs and randomisation of pack contents.
Chris said, “We have created these things over a long period of time to actually mirror what it feels like, the tough strategic choices you have to make when you’re putting a squad together that works uniquely as that squad you want to manage, that you want to play with. That’s why it all fits together the way it does.”
Eurogamer reiterated that their question is not about the pack itself but rather the randomness and the fact that this randomness is facilitated by real-life money.
To this, Chris stated the fact, “Let me be very very (sic) clear about this point: nine out of ten FUT packs that are opened in FIFA are opened with coins. Coins are earned by playing the game. And the other really important thing is that 78 percent of all FIFA 21 players never spend anything in the game.”
We need to highlight that most of the opened packs come from the SBCs players complete in-game and probably EA included them in this statistic otherwise those numbers really don’t add up.
Boils Down to Player Choice
Eurogamer insisted that it’s not the system that exists by itself that is the issue. It’s the concept of rigging the system such that players can choose to buy their way to the top and the Pay2Win concept is hardly fair no matter how many players take that route. Chris stated that the idea of FIFA is to provide tens of millions of players with multiple choices and it is ultimately their wish and decision to pursue their desired route.
They have inculcated many measures to try and make the microtransaction route more transparent, more limiting and more accountable.
However, the “9 out of 10 packs earned” concept still leaves 1 player who would buy their way to glory and to that, Chris said, “The reality – and we study this constantly – FIFA Ultimate Team is by far and away a game of skill. And the player’s skill is by far the fundamental contributor to that player’s success rate.”
Loot Boxes and Gambling
Chris started off by saying, “When I hear about an individual who has spent too much time or too much money in FIFA, it pains me. It drives us, actually. We don’t want that. We’re not building the game for that. So, it drives me to increase awareness around how many controls parents have around spending, not just in our game, but in all games. So, we’re ready. We will work on real solutions. But we need to get to some kind of consensus.”
Asked if there is even a slight chance of the game system changing should multiple countries ban the loot boxes or if FIFA was at the risk of losing its PEGI 3 rating, Chis stated that kids should not be spending in their game in any capacity and that they have been actively working with Microsoft and Sony to regulate account creation and age windows to control and stop any such expenditure.
However, the issue remains, even as far FIFA points getting advertised in a children’s magazine.
“Let me say again, we’re human. That was my team. It was an oversight. And so, they included FIFA Ultimate Team in this toy catalogue. And we have apologised. We said it was a mistake. We do make mistakes,” Chris said.
— FIFA22Mistakes (@AllFifaMistakes) September 26, 2020
Distinction of Gambling
With multiple organisations and countries on the verge of classifying loot boxes as gambling, Chris asked if something you can’t even cash out can be classified as gambling.
Despite that, there exist numerous black-market places where FUT Coins are indeed sold for quick bucks and Chris said that he was aware of these deeds.
“Clearly, we know all about that, because we’ve had to put tonnes and tonnes of resources to combat it. It’s an incredible responsibility to ensure the security of our game, so that we make it very difficult to commit fraud. But that’s what that is. And just to be clear, again, we study this. I have the benefit of seeing data. The sellers on the black market, the ones that are actually making money, those are criminals.”
When questioned of the bottom-line regarding microtransactions, the explanation given by Chris went, “I’m going to go back to nine out of 10 people spend on FUT packs. Eight out of 10 people don’t spend in FIFA at all. The ability to spend real-world money in the game represents choice for players. I’m 52 years old as of about a month ago. At 52 I don’t have as much time as I did before. When I was 22, I could play and build the kind of team that I wanted to build. Today, for me, the choice that I made, is to play the game, earn FUT coins and spend a little bit on FIFA Points to help top off my squad. And I feel like that’s a choice I should be allowed to make.”
The interview ended with Eurogamer mentioning that despite less than 30% players spending in-game, the revenue margins of EA speak a different story and especially for FIFA as a franchise. Chris said that the times have changed and the game models have to adapt to the current trends. Games launched are never 100% done and the process has only begun, in order to deliver a complete experience to players throughout the game cycle.
This is a dynamic ecosystem and these revenues are proof that the game is successful and it also helps pay the developers who make this game what it is today.
🎮 FIFA is worth more than £1.47 billion a year to EA – more than 150 million people play it
🎮 Of EA’s £4.1 billion turnover last year, £2.9 billion came from “live services” division
🎮 Video game has influenced real game in terms of sponsorship & licensing deals@mjshrimper
— The Athletic UK (@TheAthleticUK) October 7, 2021
It seems that the FIFA Points/FUT Packs dynamic is set to stay for little longer but big changes are to be expected based on the decisions governments across the world take. What did you make of this interview? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.


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Tata Motors launches ‘Club Class Buyback Assurance’ wherein the customers will be offered 60 percent of the purchase price after 3 years. After Club Class Features, Club Class Service, Tata has launched the industry first ‘Club Class Buyback Assurance’ program. Tata Motors has also revised the Manza prices to make the value proposition more attractive.
Tata Motors is India's largest automobile company, with consolidated revenues of Rs. 1,65,654 crores ($ 32.5 billion) in 2011-12. Through subsidiaries and associate companies, Tata Motors has operations in the UK, South Korea, Thailand, Spain, South Africa and Indonesia. Among them is Jaguar Land Rover, the business comprising the two iconic British brands. It also has an industrial joint venture with Fiat in India.
Designed for the discerning new-age customer, the Tata Manza Club Class, is an enticing combination of first-in-class human-machine interface, best-in-class cabin space and contemporary styling. Taking forward its luxurious lineage, the new Tata Manza has been launched with a powerful positioning of ‘the Club Class Sedan’ since it has set a new benchmark for sedan buyers in the mid-sized car segment with its plush interiors and state-of-the-art technology features, making it the most premium sedan in its class. Tata Manza Club Class diesel prices start at Rs. 5.99 lakh.


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Jeffco ‘Open For Business Spotlight’: Design Dei Capelli
JEFFERSON COUNTY, CO — Many Colorado businesses are not only adhering to public health guidelines, but some are coming up with creative ways to keep customers and employees safe.
Jefferson County has launched the ‘Open for Business Spotlight,” which highlights businesses that are going above and beyond to create safe environments amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Jefferson County Commissioners Libby Szabo, Casey Tighe and Lesley Dahlkemper visited with business owners who are emphasizing public safety. The visits were filmed and a series of videos has been posted on the county’s YouTube channel.
Some of the first businesses that were featured include:
Don’t miss the latest coronavirus updates from health and government officials in Colorado. Sign up for free Patch news alerts and newsletters for what you need to know daily.
Latest featured businesses:
Design dei Capelli, 7905 Ralston Rd. #106, Arvada:
Design dei Capelli is an Arvada salon that specializes in consultations, color, hair design, extensions, bridal, fashion events and photo shoots:
Ballmer Peak Distillery, 12437 W. Alameda Pkwy, Lakewood:
“Ballmer Peak is a local distillery that produces Australian style gin, silver rum, spiced rum and un-aged whiskey,” the Jeffco post read. “For months during the COVID-19 outbreak, they manufactured much-needed hand sanitizer for the local community. Jefferson County applauds Ballmer Peak for emphasizing public safety!
Holidaily Brewing Company, 801 Brickyard Circle – Unit B, Golden:
“Holidaily Brewing is Colorado’s dedicated gluten-free brewery, brewing up delicious beers since February 2016,” the Jeffco post read. “The premise of the brewery is to offer a safe product to consumers with dietary restrictions. This goes beyond beer, and they take the safety and health of their customers and staff seriously.”
Rheinlander Bakery, 5721 Olde Wadsworth Blvd, Arvada:
“Located in Olde Towne Arvada, Rheinlander Bakery is a family owned business and has been baking since 1963,” the Jeffco post read. “They have a large selection of traditional, gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free and vegan pastries for breakfast, lunch and of course, dessert. Denver’s A-List just named Rheinlander Bakery the #1 Bakery for 2020! Jefferson County applauds Rheinlander Bakery for emphasizing public safety.”
West 29th Restaurant & Bar, 5560 W 29th Ave, Wheat Ridge:
“West 29th Restaurant & Bar blends the old world with the new west, delivering French-influenced cuisine in an elegant, Colorado-inspired setting,” the Jeffco post read. “Featuring two patios, a fireplace and stained glass windows showcasing iconic landscapes, West 29th Restaurant & Bar is the perfect place to enjoy a romantic special occasion, casual happy hour or a sunny weekend brunch.”
Rib City, 8174 S. Kipling Pkwy, Littleton:
“Rib City Ken Caryl/Littleton is locally owned and operated, having been in business for 16 years,” Jeffco officials said. “They pride themselves on providing excellent, high quality food, smoked in house by the best BBQ chefs. When you eat at Rib City, you’re family. They are taking all necessary precautions to keep staff and customers safe.”
Village Roaster, 9255 W Alameda Ave Unit L, Lakewood:
“Village Roaster has been serving freshly roasted coffee, gourmet tea, and spices for more than 40 years,” Jeffco officials said. “They only sell 100% Arabica coffee beans, and they work to acquire the best coffee beans in the world. Village Roaster ensures that the coffee beans meet their standards, and then roasts them in small batches to ensure quality and freshness.
Blackbird Cafe and Tavern, 25940 Highway 74, Evergreen:
“Blackbird Café and Tavern is a small family restaurant with an incredible, dedicated team working together to provide fresh, tasty options from brunch to dinner,” Jeffco officials said. “They love their community and have found that many guests become not only repeat customers, but part of their family. The Blackbird team has taken the state and county public health guidelines very seriously. Their goal was to transform the space into a safe and comfortable environment that followed the state guidelines.”


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nVidia, like many other companies are starting to see potential within the Android and PC platforms for gaming, especially with the emerging power of mobile processors created but who other than themselves. Their newest innovation Project Shield is an Android based mobile console that doesn’t necessarily fit in your pocket, but offers
Capcom is looking to Ressurect Darkstalkers in a big way. Yoshinori Ono producer of the Street Fighter series has posted a picture of Darkstalkers Ressurection in it complete case but looks like that version is only getting release in Japan.In the tweet regarding the picture of he writes “I’ll be
Nintendo has just announced the next generation of Pokemon. Pokemon X and Pokemon Y signal growth within the series taking it from it’s traditional “2.5D” gameplay and finally evolving the handheld series into the Pokemon Stadium esque gameplay presentation we’ve all fantasized about. Now with a whole new generation of pocket monsters,
Hey, do you like buying games, selling them back to get a new game, lending games, being lent games, trading games? Well guess what SONY recently filed a very ludicrous patent that would destroy the future used game market for the PS4. By installing a chip called the “RFID Chip”
THQ announced that it has signed an agreement to sell of of it’s assets to the Clearlake Capital Group for $60,000,000 ($6 Million). Clearlake said that the sale ““allow THQ to shed certain legacy obligations and emerge with the strong financial backing of a new owner with substantial experience in
A Forerunner and Promethian exclusive, the Suppressor is an ancient assault style automatic rifle that lives up to the name quite famously. As an almost mirror weapon to the UNSC Assault Rifle, this gun is mostly found and introduced by the primary weapon of basic Crawlers in the campaign mode.
Okay well last week I gave you a basic routine pretty much anyone can do. Now its time to give you a workout specifically tailored for a gamer. This is a basic concept that I apply when I play games online. This will not only help you achieve a stronger
The Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR) made it’s debut in Halo: Reach and is easily the most controversial weapon of the entire Halo series. Leaving one of the worst impressions on Halo fans, many of the community consider this weapon the death of Halo: Reach’s multiplayer experience all together. This weapon


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The Android Update also brings out the new features that Google announced with Oreo back in 2017.
Well, if you belong to Sony Xperia XA1 family then there is good news for you as Sony has started rolling out Android Oreo for the Xperia XA1 family and brings out a new feature like picture-in-picture videos and notification dots.
The Android Oreo update has been rolled out for the Xperia XA1, XA1 Plus, and XA1 Ultra. The Android Update weight of fewer than 900 MB, brings out the February Android security patch along with the new features that Google announced with Oreo back in 2017.
The Android Oreo update includes a feature like pinned shortcuts and widgets, notification dots, picture-in-picture support, Smart Text Selection, a new set of emoji, and more.
Do tell us in a comment what else you get with the latest Android Update on your Sony Xperia XA1 phone.


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McDonald's Corp. is hoping to bulk up its burger-tossing forces and recast the image of the "McJob" with a nationwide hiring event April 19.
On this self-proclaimed National Hiring Day, McDonald's and its franchisees plan to recruit as many as 50,000 U.S. employees to add to its roughly 600,000-member ranks.
McDonald's total hires have been similar in past years, but concentrating so many in one day is a twist. It is the first time the chain has conducted a nationwide hiring event, but it follows a similar regional version employing about 13,000 people last spring.
The fast-food giant is promoting the hiring event in print magazines such as People and Us Weekly, as well as social-media channels. The campaign highlights employees of varying ranks, from cashiers to corporate, in an effort to improve the image of working there.
For years, people have used the term "McJob" as derogatory slang for low-paying, dead-end work in the kitchen or behind the counter. McDonald's thinks by putting the spotlight on employees who have risen through the ranks in successful, long-lasting careers, it will be able to give the McJob a new meaning.
Jim Norberg, a senior vice president in McDonald's restaurant support office, began his career making french fries when he was 16. This month, he is celebrating his 30th anniversary with the company.
"We want to show people what a McJob really means to those of us who have them," Mr. Norberg said in an interview. "About 40% of our company staff started out working in the restaurants, so the opportunities are out there in a big way."
McDonald's has continued to outpace its rivals, aided by an increasingly diverse menu that ranges from value items to higher-margin offerings such as blended ice drinks, as well as renovated stores and longer hours of operations.
Its same-store sales have grown year-over-year at levels higher than the rest of the industry. And McDonald's size and scale allow it to better negotiate commodity costs, which are a significant head wind for restaurants this year.
With business growing, summertime typically driving sales up, and more McDonald's locations staying open around the clock, Mr. Norberg says the stores are going to need the extra help.
McDonald's says the job offers will be a combination of full- and part-time positions in its 14,000 restaurants.
Branding strategist Adam Hanft, chief executive officer of Hanft Projects, says highlighting employee success stories is a good move, but bringing the McJob terminology in to the campaign is a huge misstep. Most of the jobs being offered are low-end and don't require specialized skills, reinforcing that a McJob is exactly that, he said.
"I think over time they could've created an impression that these aren't jobs of last resort," Hanft said. "But hiring in mass like this makes it seem like they aren't very picky about who they hire, and I don't think it's going to make anyone feel better about the job or working there."
Bringing on more part-time and seasonal workers would allow McDonald's to decrease full-time staff, which would reduce costs at a time when health insurance and other full-time benefits are becoming more expensive for companies.
"Labor costs are a real problem for restaurants this year," said Ron Paul, president of Technomic, a Chicago-based industry research and consulting firm. "The changes in health-care benefits are going to force companies to rely more on part-time workers than before."
A spokeswoman for McDonald's said given the positions span from entry-level to manager, it isn't an effort to gain more part-time labor. McDonald's hourly employees typically make more than minimum wage, often more than $8 an hour, but that varies by franchisee, she said.


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risks@ (Adds Ifo, background)
BERLIN, March 21 (Reuters) - The panel of economic advisers to the German government slightly raised its growth forecast for Europe's largest economy on Wednesday but warned that a spiral of protectionist measures could damage the robust upswing.
The five economists who advise the German government on policy said they expected gross domestic product to grow by 2.3 percent this year, up 0.1 percentage points from their previous forecast in November.
For 2019, they forecast 1.8 percent economic growth.
The Ifo economic institute was even more optimistic, with its researchers confirming their forecasts -- originally made in December -- of 2.6 percent German growth this year and 2.1 percent in 2019.
"Huge income tax reductions in the USA and the robust economic upturn in the euro zone are boosting demand for German goods and services," Ifo said on Wednesday.
The panel of economic advisors said trade would play a slightly bigger role as a growth driver than previously expected due to a booming world economy. The European Central Bank's loose monetary policy and the government's plans to increase state spending will provide additional stimulus, they added.
But the advisors also warned that the German economy was facing increased risks from abroad, including the Italian election result, uncertainty regarding the outcome of negotiations on Britain's looming departure from the European Union and planned U.S. import tariffs.
"A spiral of protectionist measures would have a clear negative impact on the global economy and the German economy," they said.
On the domestic front, German companies are facing increased capacity constraints and labor shortages are likely to limit future growth, the panel said.
In an interview with Stern magazine, German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz warned U.S. President Donald Trump's administration against using "instruments of the 19th century," saying Trump talked about fairness but really meant protectionism.
"Protectionism hurts everyone -- even those who start it," Scholz said of the United States, which is planning tariffs on imported steel and aluminum.
Ifo said the debate about introducing or raising tariffs in transatlantic trade, along with the euro's appreciation, was dampening morale among companies.
The coalition government of Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative bloc and the Social Democrats -- sworn in earlier this month -- is having a temporary stimulative effect because it has agreed to boost state spending, particularly in the coming year, Ifo said.
Ifo said the government's tax reform plans were disappointing, however, and an answer was still needed to a significant reduction in corporate tax rates in the United States as well as in France and Britain.
The German economy grew by 2.2 percent in 2017 which translated into a calendar-adjusted 2.5 percent -- the strongest growth rate since 2011. (Reporting by Michael Nienaber and Michelle Martin Editing by Catherine Evans)


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Controversial Chinese video app Zynn has returned to iOS and Android after being booted from both platforms following reports of plagiarism and complaints about a pay-to-watch system that one media watchdog described as a “pyramid scheme.”
The app returned to Google’s Play Store on July 2nd and Apple’s App Store on July 16th, but users are frustrated by the changes it’s made, particularly to the reward system that helped boost Zynn to the top of app download charts earlier this year. The app previously offered users cash or gift cards for simply signing up, watching videos, and referring friends. Now, this cash system has been replaced with a system of “Zynncheers” points. And what are Zynncheers points good for? Nobody knows, including Zynn.
The company introduced the system in June, and seems to have swapped any cash users had accumulated but not yet redeemed for points. These points are a “type of credit representing community activity level,” says Zynn, which users will be able to receive “benefits” for. But what these benefits are and how they can be redeemed is unclear.
On social media, Zynn users have been responding to the company’s posts to vent their frustrations, complaining that the main function of Zynncheers seems to be stopping them from cashing out any money they’d previously accumulated.
On the Google Play store, the reviews are more specific in their grievances. “The sole and only reason that 90% of people downloaded this app for is money,” says one user on July 18th. “But ever since they added zynncheers the app has become useless … They said that they are finding uses for zynncheers but it’s been a long time and they are still worthless.”
Zynn says it’s working on developing Zynncheers, but hasn’t offered any solid updates on the scheme in recent weeks. We’ve reached out to the company to ask for more information and will update this story if and when we hear back.
In the meantime users are abandoning the app or moving on to pastures new. In a Facebook group where Zynn users previously shared referral codes and swapped tips on how to accumulate cash quickly, people are either bemoaning the app’s demise or hawking new video apps which promise their own get-rich-quick cash reward schemes.
“I’m inviting you to join Cash Crates, a site that lets you earn money with social media. I just earned $54.00 and you can too! Sign up today for a $25 bonus!” says one post. Another user replies: “lmao are u dumb ?”


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The overall organic revenue growth was the balance of local macroeconomic circumstances, further strengthening of the product portfolio by adding new supplier relationships, expanding relationships with existing suppliers and increasing customer penetration by adding new products and selling more products to existing and new customers.
“2018 was an outstanding year for IMCD, with all our regions contributing to this success,” said CEO Piet van der Slikke. “We achieved record growth as operating EBITA grew to €202.1 million (+25 percent) and cash earnings per share developed positively to €2.53 (+23 percent).
“We have made good progress with the integration of our existing businesses in the US and Canada and with the acquisition of E.T. Horn, enabling IMCD US to become a nationally operating organization,” van der Slikke added. “With our newly developed global digital infrastructure, we will continue to enhance customer offerings. Despite today’s geopolitical uncertainties, we remain positive about our ability to translate new opportunities into future growth.’’
Gross profit, defined as revenue less cost of materials and inbound logistics, increased by 25% from €428.7 million in 2017 to €536.1 million in 2018. The increase in gross profit was the balance of organic growth (13 percent), the first time inclusion of acquisitions (15 percent) and the negative impact of foreign currency exchange rate developments (-3 percent). On a consolidated level, gross profit by percent of revenue remained stable at 22.5 percent in 2018.
Operating EBITA increased by €40.4 million (25 percent), from €161.7 million in 2017 to €202.1 million in 2018. On a constant currency basis, the increase was by 30 percent. The growth in operating EBITA of 25 percent was a combination of organic growth, the first-time inclusion of acquisitions completed in 2017 and 2018 and the negative impact of foreign currency exchange differences (-5 percent). Operating EBITA by percent of revenue remained stable at 8.5 percent in 2018.
Free cash flow is defined as operating EBITDA excluding non-cash share-based payment expenses, plus or less changes in working capital, less capital expenditures. In 2018, free cash flow increased by three percent from €161.3 million in 2017 to €166.5 million in 2018.
As at the end of 2018, net debt was €610.7 million, compared to €490.0 million as at year-end 2017. The increase in net debt is predominantly the balance of positive and healthy cash flows from operating activities set-off by cash outflows as a result of acquisition-related payments of €141 million and a dividend payment of €33 million in 2018.


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It's no secret that Google advocates developing apps with multiple form factors in mind. While not all the apps in Google's own portfolio are quite up to speed on this front, apps like the ones in Google's Play suite have done a nice job so far in supporting phones and tablets alike.
But since I/O 2014, Google's been working on more than just phones and tablets. Last year saw the introduction of Android for TVs, watches, and even cars, so now is the time for developers to start thinking about how their experiences will look and feel on those new form factors.
To that end, Google has announced a new reference sample app - a music player - that's available for developers to play with.
At some point or another, most Android developers will eventually open up the profiling tools to track down bugs and performance issues in a misbehaving application. Let's be honest, the tools included with the Android SDK do leave something to be desired. Facebook has just released one of its internally-developed tools which provides network inspection, database inspection and interaction, and a support for access to the dumpapp output with the use of customizable plugins. The most interesting feature about Stetho is that it runs entirely through the Chrome Developer Tools – the same interface used by web developers everywhere.
Keep in mind, Stetho is not a total debugger replacement.
Months ago, we posted a rumor about "modular actions" set to come to Google's Search app (now just called Google) along with "Ok Google Everywhere" functionality that would allow users to activate search from anywhere on their device. The latter has already been implemented, but Google is still inching toward the former. With the technically unreleased Google app, the search interface can overlay apps from which it is called, but Google today announced another step forward - the ability to let apps hook into search by accepting voice queries from the user.
The solution is a mere six lines which, when added to the AndroidManifest.xml file, will allow a user to say something like "Search for pizza on Eat24" to open the corresponding app (in this case Eat24) to pizza search results.
Google I/O 2014 has come and gone, but that doesn't mean great stuff from the conference isn't still coming out. The companion app used by thousands of attendees -and hundreds of thousands of fans and followers- has been open sourced! Code for the I/O app is meant to serve as an example of best practices for Android developers, providing fully functioning implementations of the latest design principles, UI controls, networking code, and more.
It has become something of a tradition to release the source code for the I/O scheduler app, although this is only the 3rd time it has been done.
A new feature has snuck into the Chrome OS dev channel that, while not yet fully baked (okay, it's still mostly a block of ice), could one day allow users to unlock their Chromebooks automatically just by having their phone in close proximity. This feature is "Easy Unlock."
The Chromecast has identity issues. It may be based on Android, but it updates like Chrome. The device ships on the stable channel, but it's possible to switch it beta and dev channels. These options are progressively bleeding edge, but this comes at the obvious sacrifice of stability, and there's a strong risk of bricking your device. Granted, it's only $35, far cheaper than breaking a smartphone or tablet.
Disclaimer: Android Police isn't responsible for any harm to your device - proceed at your own risk.
You need root first, then manually push the zips to update, at which point you'll be switched to the respective channel.
Just like last year, the Google I/O app's source code has been released in an effort to get developers acquainted with Android best practices.
In a post to Google+ today, the Android Developers page outlined some of the things the source code has in store for those curious. Among them are techniques to implement responsive design across phones and tablets, use content providers and implicit intents in app navigation, using sync adapters to provide new content "in a battery-friendly way" and loads more.
If you're a developer who's been anxiously awaiting the code, a developer who had no idea the code was on its way, or just a curious onlooker, hit the appropriate link below to see the original Google+ post, or see the code.
If you like to tinker with Sony Xperia devices, things just got a little more fun (funner, if you will). Thanks to Sony's newly-released Illumination API, developers can now tweak the illumination bar settings on compatible devices, including the Xperia SP, ZL, ZR, UL, A U, L, S, SL, P, sola, ion, acro HD, go, M, and M dual.
Sony is calling the Illumination API an experimental API (the first of its kind for the company), which essentially means it will be released with limited documentation and virtually no support; basically, you're on your own with this one. Fortunately, it seems pretty straightforward – it can be used to control the LED color, the pulsation and time between pulses, as well as pre-defined fading patterns on certain models.
Between Hangouts, the gorgeous new Maps, Play Music All Access, and everything else discussed in I/O's opening keynote this morning, several revisions to the Play Store developer's console were announced.
Perhaps the most interesting addition to the console will be an organized method for alpha and beta testing, and staged rollouts. Basically, developers can select alpha and beta testers, receiving all feedback directly (instead of through reviews) and, when the time comes, roll out the app to certain percentages of the user base.
The changes also include a major help in ensuring your apps make sense to international users – a full translation service by which developers can order specific translations, come back a week or so later, and download the translations directly from the console.


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Alibaba.com has attracted more than $100bn in orders from institutional investors for its planned $1.5bn capital raising, reflecting keen demand for one of Hong Kong’s hottest offerings this year. [Reuters says it's now more like $180bn.]
Last year, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, which raised $16bn on the Hong Kong stock exchange, received $350bn in orders from institutional investors and another $55bn from retail investors.
As a result of the strong interest shown in the Chinese e-commerce group it has decided to close the order book early for institutional investors in Asia and the US.
Unlike retail share applicants, however, institutions do not have to present their money upfront for Hong Kong initial public offerings. That makes it easier for them to submit big orders for popular offerings in the hopes of receiving a bigger allocation.
“It’s a bit of a [misleading] number because the dollars don’t exist,” said one person familiar with the situation.
Subscription numbers for the IPO’s retail tranche, which closes on Friday, were not available yesterday.
In another sign of Alibaba.com’s popularity, on Monday the company raised its price range to HK$12-13.50, from an indicative range of HK$10-12. Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are acting as Alibaba.com’s joint global co-ordinators.
Alibaba.com, China’s largest business-to-business website, is coming to market in ideal conditions. Hong Kong’s benchmark Hang Seng Index is again testing the 30,000-point level and has risen more than 40 per cent since mid-August. Chinese companies have been particularly popular, on expectations that Beijing will soon allow mainland investors to begin buying shares in the territory.
Investor demand for Hong Kong dollars has helped push the currency to its upper limit of HK$7.75 to $1.
On Tuesday the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, which “pegs” the local currency to the US dollar in a range of 7.75-7.85, intervened in the market for the first time since May 2005, buying $100m in an effort to stop the local currency’s rise.
According to data compiled by Thomson Financial, Alibaba.com will be the largest internet IPO to come out of China and the sixth-largest offering on the Hong Kong stock exchange this year.
With that in mind, let's head over to Forbes' take on the IPO:
Alibaba.com, China’s largest e-commerce company, on Monday launched what is set to be one of the world’s most expensive initial public offerings, seeking to raise up to 11.6 billion Hong Kong dollars ($1.49 billion) through a share sale priced at a much higher valuation than investors paid for Google when it came public.
Alibaba.com, founded by former English teacher Jack Ma in 1995, is selling a 17% stake in the company, in the biggest technology IPO since Google raised $1.66 billion in 2004.
Alibaba.com on Monday revised its already high pricing range upward to between 12 Hong Kong dollars ($1.54) and 13.50 Hong Kong dollars ($1.73) a share, which would raise a maximum of 11.6 billion Hong Kong dollars( $1.49 billion) before an allotment option that would allow it to raise more in after-IPO trading.
The pricing works out to an astronomical price-to-earnings range between 94.5 and 106.3 times 2007 earnings. By contrast, Google shares were priced at a P/E of 90 in its IPO and currently fetch a 50.66 multiple.
Ma, who spoke from a road show in the U.S. via a teleconference link to a roomful of reporters in Hong Kong on Monday evening, defended the pricing, saying the company had room to raise it even higher. “Some investors who had missed out on Google’s IPO don’t want to miss out on Alibaba’s,” he said.
His No. 2 man, Alibaba.com chief executive David Wei, said many investors are buying into the company’s growth prospects for 2008 and beyond, which makes the pricing look more reasonable.
If it prices at the top of the proposed range, Alibaba would not be the most expensive stock in the high-flying Chinese Internet stock sector. Baidu.com, China’s largest search engine, is currently trading at 188 times its trailing 12-month earnings on the Nasdaq, but it has a unique edge — the support of the Chinese government, with which it cooperates hand in glove to censor the Web in China, while foreign competitors like Google face strict rules and service blockages.
Even based on 2008 earnings projections, the pricing is on the ultra-rich end. At the top end of the pricing spectrum, it is valued at 54 times its 2008 forecast, higher than Chinese Internet services provider Tencent, at 36, and Google’s 32. Nasdaq-listed Global Sources, which operates a similar e-commerce exchange in China, is trading at 33 times its 2008 consensus estimate.
But Alibaba.com would be cheaper than Baidu.com, which is trading at 57.78 times its projected 2008 earnings.
Many big-name investors have bought into Alibaba.com's growth story, including AIG Global Investment, Taiwanese billionaire Terry Gou’s Hon Hai Precision, Peter Woo of Hong Kong’s Wharf (Holdings), the Kwok family of Hong Kong’s largest real estate developer Sun Hung Hai Properties, Malaysian Chinese media and hotel magnet Kuok Hock Nien, Cisco Systems, and China’s largest bank, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.
These seven cornerstone investors have agreed to buy a total of about 2.3 billion Hong Kong dollars ($296 million) worth of shares, or 20% of the offering.
Yahoo!, which holds a 39% stake in Alibaba Group, has agreed to buy about $100 million worth of shares.
Alibaba.com is the largest business-to-business e-trading site in China; it reported earnings of 295.2 million Chinese yuan ($39.2 million) in the first six months of 2007.
The listed company would not include two fast-growing Alibaba Group businesses: its online shopping unit, Taobao.com, and its online payment services provider, Alipay.


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"Nissan believes that there are 4 major societal problems with motorization; energy, global warming, accidents, and traffic congestion," says Hiroki Nagayama, Deputy General Manager, Technology Planning Department, Nissan Motor Company Co., Ltd. Further, "in order to deal with these issues, Nissan is committed to its Zero Emission strategy and reducing traffic accidents as well as congestion in cities".
Nissan has been electrifying its cars and implementing intelligence as a way to achieve these goals. Nissan already has products that integrate these technologies, and electric cars and cars with automatic braking technology are proving to be popular around the world. These technologies are sure to continue expanding all over the globe.
With that in mind, Nissan is displaying its electrified and smarter vehicles at SMC2015 through a "Car Society of the Near Future" theater. The company hopes to share a vision of the future where electric mobility vehicles and automated driving vehicles are on the road.
"Our company is extremely excited that the many companies and visitors can experience how society will change in the future, at the number one technology motor show," says Mr. Nagayama.
The company hopes to answer the questions, "What does Nissan think of the future of cars and society?" and "How will Nissan affect the future of cars and society?" at their booth.
"I hope that as many people as possible will be able to share and understand the future Nissan envisions through our exhibition demos and theater".


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The Apprentice isn’t the only reality show on which the former TV-villain-turned-White-House-adviser Omarosa Manigault has appeared. A current member of the communications team for the Trump administration, Manigault will also appear on the latest season of Say Yes to the Dress.
The recent public financial disclosures made by the Trump administration of some of its senior staff reveals that Manigault received $25,000 from Kleinfeld’s in New York — the bridal shop in which the New York version of Say Yes to the Dress is filmed — for her “celebrity” appearance on the longtime TLC bridal-fashion franchise.
And while it’s unusual to see a senior White House aide who has appeared on not one but two reality TV franchises, Manigault’s compensation for appearing on Say Yes to the Dress might raise concerns over potential ethics violations.
The payment by Kleinfeld to Manigault is also unusual since, as stated policy, Kleinfeld’s provides no compensation for appearing on the show or for any purchases made in the store.
As seen in the recent snafu involving Trump senior counselor Kellyanne Conway and her endorsing first daughter and White House staffer Ivanka Trump’s clothing line while speaking in a professional capacity, things can get murky when it comes to White House staff seemingly promoting other businesses while also maintaining their executive branch roles.
According to the White House Office of Government Ethics, “[E]xecutive branch employees are subject to restrictions on the gifts that they may accept from sources outside the Government. Unless an exception applies, executive branch employees may not accept gifts that are given because of their official positions or that come from certain interested sources.”
Manigault’s segment of Say Yes to the Dress was filmed prior to the Trump inauguration, however, so it is likely less problematic — albeit unconventional — for her to have been compensated to the tune of five-figures by the bridal retailer for her appearance.
She became engaged to be married in June 2016 while working as Trump campaign staffer. In February, Manigault was heckled while shopping for bridesmaids dresses at a Nordstrom in suburban Washington, D.C.
While no official details regarding Manigault’s wedding to Florida pastor John Allen Newman have yet been revealed, Manigault recently posted several pictures on Instagram regarding her nuptials, including one of her trying on a wedding headpiece.
Read more from Yahoo Style + Beauty:
- Kim Kardashian Will Take Her Clothes Off for This Man
- The Cutest Capsule Denim Collection to Get Now From Maje
- Tiny Shows Off Daughter’s Mug Shot on a T-Shirt


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There used to be a time when I would go to tech industry events, trade shows, internal company meetings, etc. and I was one of the few in the room with a Mac. I took great pride in that fact, but now the Mac is gaining everywhere. It’s in schools, hospitals, labs, construction sites, restaurants, consumers’ homes, coffee shops, and now increasingly in the enterprise.
With this observation in mind it should come as no shock that Apple blew the doors off their latest earnings and recorded all time sales of Macs. My analyst colleague, Frank Gillet at Forester, shared his research which showed that 1 in 5 Global workers now use an Apple product for work.
So what is fueling this trend?
Apple Products Cost Less to Support
When I worked at Cypress Semiconductor, I moon-lighted from time to time and helped our IT department by solving Windows problems. I prided myself on the fact that I could troubleshoot Windows with the best of them. I could navigate my way in and out of all of the different and common Windows conflicts. Then a funny thing happened. I switched to the Mac and all of a sudden troubleshooting became a thing of the past. That reality is now hitting the enterprise IT departments.
A recent survey by the Enterprise Device Alliance which surveyed IT professionals in large enterprise environments that have a mix of Macs and PCs overwhelmingly found agreement with IT managers that Macs cost less than PCs to support. IT managers noted that Macs presented higher up front acquisition costs, but also noted that the long-term benefits were worth the tradeoff.
When it came to Mac adoption in the enterprise, ease of technical support and lower total cost of ownership were among the top reasons for the switch. Number one on their list–employee preference.
Bring Your Own Device To Work
If you follow this industry even a little bit you keep hearing about the “consumer-ization of IT” or the “Bring Your Own Device” trend. Yes, both trends are real and IT managers are diligently working to allow employees to use whatever devices they want at work.
We recently interviewed SAP’s CIO Oliver Bussman. He shared with us that inside SAP they have 14,000 iPads and 8,000 iPhones deployed. That is a total of 22,000 iOS devices compared to the 20,000 Blackberries deployed to his workers. SAP, like many other companies is working to cater to their employees’ device preference. And Mr Bussman shared an interesting perspective with us. He said that he now has to pay closer attention to what is going on in the consumer market because if he doesn’t, he would not be able to stay ahead of the game. His workers use and learn how to make things like the iPad work for them at home. Then they come to him and say they want to use it in the office as well. After his visit to CES, Mr. Bussman recorded a video of his thoughts on the consumer-ization of IT and it is worth watching as he has a very important perspective on the subject.
The Right Product for the Right Job
In the construction industry they say that “every job is easier with the right tools.” Perhaps for too long, due to the Windows monopoly on most businesses, IT managers have been forced to have workers use the same tool to get a multitude of jobs done. But now devices like the iPhone and iPad in particular are proving more effective in many situations like field force and sales force automation.
During our interview Oliver Bussman also shared with us that he was able to deploy 300 iPads to his global sales team in just 4 weeks. In many enterprise solutions, the iPad, and touch computing in general, is just a better tool for the job.
IT managers need to effectively empower their workforce to be productive and equipped with the tools they need to be successful. Apple products are now becoming a critical part of the enterprise tool set.
Apple’s focus has not been the corporate IT accounts. Apple has always been a consumer product company waiting for a pure consumer market to mature. Now that the consumer market for personal electronics has matured, it appears to also be an enterprise strategy. Demand for Apple products is at an all-time high with consumers and their latest earnings prove this. What no one really could have predicted was that to win in enterprise you had to also win in consumer. It seems logical, but hindsight is 20/20. That reality is now fueling growth in Apple’s favor from every corner of the technology sector. The scary thing for Apple competitors is that they are just getting started.


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March 22, 2011
Aspen Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: AZPN), a leading provider of software and services to the process industries, announced it won an “Editor’s Pick” award from Consumer Goods Technology (CGT) magazine. CGT cited AspenTech’s innovative process optimization solutions and the domain expertise of its partner network in helping consumer products customers achieve operational excellence in process manufacturing.
Jack Lee, Vice President, Indirect Channel Sales, AspenTech
“AspenTech is delighted to receive this prestigious recognition highlighting how we are helping consumer products companies achieve their operational excellence objectives. By tightly integrating their manufacturing and supply chain with existing ERP systems, CP companies are realizing new levels of optimization, giving them a significant competitive advantage in the marketplace.”
AspenTech is a leading supplier of software that optimizes process manufacturing – for energy, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, engineering and construction, and other industries that manufacture and produce products from a chemical process. With integrated aspenONE solutions, process manufacturers can implement best practices for optimizing their engineering, manufacturing and supply chain operations. As a result, AspenTech customers are better able to increase capacity, improve margins, reduce costs and become more energy efficient. To see how the world’s leading process manufacturers rely on AspenTech to achieve their operational excellence goals, visit www.aspentech.com


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Opel unveils Adam Rocks S, a sportier version of its crossover
At AutoRAI in Amsterdam, the German brand has unveiled the latest addition to its Adam range, a mini-crossover with 150hp. Opel has yet to announce pricing and availability details.autos Updated: Apr 20, 2015 10:37 IST
At AutoRAI in Amsterdam, the German brand has unveiled the latest addition to its Adam range, a mini-crossover with 150hp. Opel has yet to announce pricing and availability details.
The new Adam Rocks S is powered by the same 1.4-liter, 150hp turbocharged engine as the Adam S, launched in March, so its performance stats are similar (210km/h top speed and 0 to 100km/h acceleration in 8.5 seconds). In terms of fuel efficiency, Opel says the new model consumes 5.9 liters per 100km, which is equivalent to CO2 emissions of 139g/km. A more off-road style and a built-in multimedia system are among the features that distinguish the Adam Rocks S from older brother.
The new mini-crossover is the latest in a long list of variations on the Adam, which was unveiled just over two years ago.
A customizable and connected city car
Premiered at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, the Adam is a tech-savvy and fully customizable city car named for the brand's founder, Adam Opel. The model was the first to be outfitted with Opel's next-generation infotainment system, which can be used with iOS and Android smartphones to bring certain apps, including navigation services, to a 7-inch color touch screen. On the market since March 2013, the Adam is positioned as a direct competitor to the Mini, the Volkswagen Up! and the Fiat 500, among other small city cars.
At the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, Opel revealed a new mini-crossover concept based on the Adam and offering a similar degree of customization. One year later, the concept was introduced as a production vehicle, the Adam Rocks, a more off-road version somewhat reminiscent of the Renault Captur. The Adam Rocks is equipped with the latest version of the Opel IntelliLink multimedia system, which combines a 7-inch display with a 7-speaker audio system.
During summer 2013, the German manufacturer announced the Adam Black Link and Adam White Link, two special editions of 2,000 cars featuring the IntelliLink system and the SIRI Eyes Free voice control system.
Finally, last fall, Opel announced plans to launch a new, sportier version of the Adam S city car this spring. The new model will feature a 150hp engine, a more performance-focused chassis and brakes, and sporty red brake calipers.
First Published: Apr 20, 2015 10:34 IST


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Amazon is gearing up for completion of its second fulfillment centre in Alberta.
Located at the Border Business Park in Leduc Country — nearby the Edmonton International Airport and just off of the Queen Elizabeth II Highway — the one-million square foot facility will handle larger customer items such as outdoor equipment, bicycles and patio furniture.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
“The primary factor in choosing a location is our need to be closer to the customer,” said Vibhore Arora, regional director of Amazon operations during a sneak peek event of the facility Tuesday.
“We’ve had a phenomenal response in Alberta last year with our Calgary fulfillment centre so this is just an expansion of that growth we’re seeing in the province.”
The project currently employs about 100 construction workers and is expected to increase to about 250 by the final construction phase.
Once open, Arora said the facility will create 600 jobs.


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Wal-Mart’s distribution system has been lavishly funded — not by the corporation — but by state and federal taxpayers. The Arkansas retailer has used public subsidies to help build many of its distribution centers. Over the years, Sprawl-Busters has written about this unfair form of corporate welfare, which allows the company to receive free infrastructure, or land, or both — at taxpayer’s expense. These subsidies amount to yet another unfair competitive advantage the retailer uses to put its competition under. The retailer rakes in $10 billion in profits last year, yet tells unsuspecting local officials that it cannot afford to build its own distribution centers with company funds, and needs taxpayer welfare to make its distribution centers work. While some states are re-examining the use of subsidies like tax incremental financing (TIFs) for such commercial projects, the state of Michigan seems to be oblivious to the enormous public subsidy from which Wal-Mart benefits. According to the Morning Sun newspaper, the Michigan House is considering legislation to allow distribution centers — most notably built by Wal-Mart — to qualify for state taxpayer welfare in the form of free transportation funds. Wal-Mart is currently trying to build a project code-named “Project 700” in the town of Mt.Pleasant, Michigan, but it wants public help to make it happen. “I look on this as a tool to be available to any community that would like to attract an employer with a large number of jobs,” said Rep. Bill Caul, R-Mt. Pleasant. Caul has sponsored the House bill similar to one already passed by the Michigan Senate, that would allow state transportation money to be targeted for improving roads around such a center. The Michigan Senate approved a bill to permit the state’s Economic Development Fund to help build roads to distribution centers larger than 500,000 s.f. The bill passed the Senate on a vote of 23-14, with 21 of those in favor of Wal-Mart coming from the Republicans side of the aisle. No retailer has received tax breaks in the past, and many lawmakers in Michigan wonder why Wal-Mart, the wealthiest of them all, needs financial help. Local officials have refused to confirm that Wal-Mart is part of Project 700. The Senate defeated an amendment that would have required workers at such distribution centers to earn, on average, at least the average weekly pay of all workers in the state.
This Michigan bill is nothing more than Wal-Mart welfare. It would only benefit companies building very large distribution centers, so all the small and mid size retailers would be disadvantaged by definition under this bill. Some communities have turned down Wal-Mart distribution centers, like Killingly, Connecticut, and told the retailer they would have to build their projects on their own dime. The position at Sprawl-Busters is that commercial projects should not be eligible for TIF financing, or public subsidies of any kind, including discount stores or their distribution centers. The money to pay for those subsidies is coming from taxpayers, including other commercial taxpayers who never received any corporate welfare to build their stores. There is no justification to giving welfare to the largest retailers just because of their large size. That size is used to kill smaller commercial firms, and Wal-Mart distribution centers are the brain center of the network that kills smaller companies. There is no reason to subsidize a company that is narrowing the diversity and competitiveness of the retail lanscape. For a catalogue of cases in which Wal-Mart turned to taxpayers to build their distribution centers, search Newsflash by “corporate welfare” or “distribution centers.”


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FRANKFURT (Reuters) - BMW (BMWG.DE) tore through market expectations for second-quarter profits as more wealthy Chinese drove away with its revamped 5 Series saloon car.
The company reported an 83 percent jump in quarterly operating profit at its luxury car business, underpinned by surging sales of the 5 series and a 4.8 percentage point widening in its operating margin to 14.4 percent.
Although BMW is enjoying a golden year for profits, like Mercedes (DAIGn.DE) and Audi (VOWG_p.DE), the carmaker tempered expectations by predicting a return in the longer term to margins of 8-10 percent.
Bernstein analyst Max Warburton called the results “quite simply awesome” as BMW came in third only to luxury sports car makers Porsche (PSHG_p.DE) and Ferrari FIA.MI in terms of sheer earnings power in the global auto industry.
“For an analyst that’s covered BMW for 11 years it’s amazing to see this level of earnings,” he said in a note to clients. “At no point in the past would it have been imaginable that this company could make margins of this level.”
Chinese demand for models like the top-of-the-line 7 Series, allowed BMW to charge higher prices and offer fewer margin-eroding incentives than ever before.
“What the market completely underestimates is the impact Chinese demand has on overall global pricing. Were it not for China, BMW would have to sweeten its leasing conditions to sell those additional 20,000 units of its 7 Series,” UniCredit analyst Georg Stuerzer said.
The margin, the most closely followed metric for German luxury carmakers, exceeded the 12.8 percent forecast in a Reuters poll, even though analysts had already penciled in higher estimates after BMW raised its outlook last month.
Although BMW echoed Daimler in forecasting that sky-high growth rates would return to earth in emerging markets, this will not threaten their outlook as margins are supported largely by maintaining factory output near their current absolute limit.
Sales volumes jumped 60 percent in China in the first half and were up nearly 70 percent in Brazil. They doubled in India and almost tripled in Turkey.
Chief Executive Norbert Reithofer admitted on Tuesday that BMW could not keep pace with this demand, losing out on potential sales as manufacturing plants were already running flat out.
To better profit from developing economies, he expects his board will approve this autumn plans to build a car assembly site in Brazil, its first ever in Latin America.
Reithofer told reporters that the environment in western economies will remain extremely volatile.
“Global risks continue to increase rather than decrease. There are concerns about the sizeable national debt of many countries,” he said a day after U.S. politicians struck a last-gasp deal to raise the country’s borrowing limit, warding off the risk of a debt default.
Against this background, China stood out particularly as a source of record profits for German luxury carmakers.
“The outlook there is extremely, extremely bright. Very steep wage rises in China are creating a rapidly growing urban middle class, so the Chinese luxury auto market is set to grow by just under 50 percent annually for the next two to three years,” said John Leech, automotive partner at KPMG.
Double-digit margins are “definitely achievable” for German luxury carmakers as a result, since fairly small changes in volumes have dramatic effects on earnings when capacity utilization improves at their plants.
“There is a huge potential for China’s car market to expand five-fold in size over a 50 year time horizon and reach a penetration rate in line with other developed markets,” he said.
Reporting by Christiaan Hetzner; Editing by Sophie Walker and Chris Wickham


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Name a recent, high-profile business partnership you thought was smart and why.
The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world's most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.
A. Stripe and Lyft
Lyft began to use Stripe to charge riders and pay drivers. Rather than needing to use two different systems for payment collection and distribution, this partnership reduces overhead for Lyft, and it gives drivers and riders a seamless payment experience.
- Ryan Buckley, Scripted, Inc.
A. Jeff Bezos and The Washington Post
I'm very excited to see what magic Jeff Bezos can bring to The Washington Post. Jeff is a technology superstar, and his vision could bring some really interesting changes to the company. I'm curious to see how this one plays out. I think it could be a big win for both parties!
- Patrick Conley, Automation Heroes
A. Omnicom and Publicis Groupe
Once competitors, Omnicom and Publicis Groupe recently announced plans to merge and form the world's largest advertising company with $23 billion in revenue. If approved, this will make their company larger than WPP. It's refreshing to see two former competitors who fought tooth and nail for ownership of the space decide to take it on head first and dominate by merging their talent and clients.
- Sarah Ware, Markerly
A. Starbucks and Square
Starbucks doing a deal with Square is smart because it validates both companies -- Square as a legitimate payment platform and Starbucks as a big company that innovates. And, let's face it, it's super easy to pay with your phone.
- Panos Panay, Sonicbids
A. Southwest Airlines and AirTran
I thought the partnership between Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways was smart. AirTran benefitted from Southwest's profit-driven business model, and Southwest almost instantly scaled its profits.
- Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance
A. Citibank and NYC Bike Share
The partnership between Citibank and NYC Bike Share brings immense value to all those involved: the bank, the city, and most importantly, New Yorkers. It's great to see partnerships that work on a business level, but also one with clear, long-term financial and non-financial value.
- Henry Glucroft, Henry"s / Airdrop
A. AOL and Adap.TV
Adap.TV was very recently acquired by AOL. AOL, which is already heavy in content, now has the infrastructure to better monetize its own video content, as well as other syndicated content in the very lucrative video ad market.
- Kevin Lenane, Veenome
A. Starbucks and La Boulange Bakery
I'm consistently impressed by Starbucks' constant innovation and lack of fear. By purchasing La Boulange Bakery and acknowledging its food quality gap, Starbucks has taken a power move to improve its baked goods and food offerings through the acquisition of talent, branding and expertise.
- Derek Flanzraich, Greatist
A. Samsung and Jay-Z
It's up for debate who got the best of the deal in the rumored $20 million Jay-Z and Samsung Galaxy partnership. However, by partnering with arguably one of the most transcendent entertainment talents, Samsung was able to gain mind share with its target audience. And Jay-Z went platinum on launch and cemented his place as an icon. Seems smart all around.
- Eric Koester, DCI
A. Twitter and Vine
Buying Vine was a smart move for Twitter. Integrating those two platforms makes each standalone more interactive. Vine's competitor, Instagram, isn't embedded in tweets like Vine media is, which in my opinion, is key. Vine has an advantage since viewers can see the videos right in the tweet. Having to click through and wait for Instagram media in tweets is a major annoyance.
- Phil Laboon, Eyeflow Internet Marketing
A. Simple and Uber
Simple partnered with Uber to allow Uber users to jump the wait list for a Simple account. The partnership was particularly smart because Uber users are already proven to use their smartphones for everyday tasks -- a requirement for a successful Simple user.
- Thursday Bram, Hyper Modern Consulting
A. Bonobos and Nordstrom
I found the Bonobos deal with Nordstrom to be very exciting. Bonobos, a menswear brand that began online, partnering with an iconic, 111-year-old brick-and-mortar retailer like Nordstrom goes to show how the digital space is coming together with the offline world. Both Bonobos and Nordstrom have phenomenal customer service and a strong brand presence, so the partnership seems like a dream team.
- Doreen Bloch, Poshly Inc.


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Chapek has also announced a handful of key appointments at Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution led by Kareem Daniel.
Disney has formed a new international content group to expand its pipeline of content in local and regional markets and bolster its global subscriber numbers. This group will be helmed by Disney streaming executive Rebecca Campbell, who will directly report to CEO Bob Chapek, in the newly expanded role of chairman, international content and operations.
In addition, the company is making several key executive appointments to its Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution (DMED) segment under the leadership of its Chairman, Kareem Daniel.
In her new role as Chairman, International Content and Operations, Campbell will be responsible for expanding the international content creation pipeline, amplifying the company’s localised content strategy. She will continue to oversee the company’s teams in the Asia Pacific, EMEA, India and Latin America who manage the company’s international linear channels, regional streaming, local ad sales, and local distribution. Previously, Campbell served as Chairman, International Operations and Direct-to-Consumer, after holding senior leadership roles across Disney’s media, international and parks businesses during a nearly 25-year tenure.
Michael Paull has been promoted to the newly-created role of President, Disney Streaming, with accountability for Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, and Star+, and will oversee these platforms globally for Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution, reporting to Daniel.
Joe Earley, who previously served as Executive Vice President, Marketing & Operations for Disney+, has been named President of Hulu, and will report to Paull.
The streaming leadership team will also include a new head of Disney+, who has yet to be named, filling a role that Paull held previously. Russell Wolff continues to serve as head of ESPN+. These roles will also report to Paull.
Chapek said: “Disney’s direct-to-consumer efforts have progressed at a tremendous pace in just a few short years, and our organisation has continued to grow and evolve in support of our ambitious global streaming strategy. Rebecca has played a vital role in orchestrating our global platform expansion, and I’m excited that she will be leading our new International Content group, bringing her expertise and talent to oversee the growing pipeline of original local and regional content for our streaming services while continuing to lead our international operations. Likewise, with a relentless focus on serving consumers, Kareem has developed an industry-leading team of seasoned executives who are uniquely equipped to take our streaming business into Disney’s next century.”
Since the launch of Disney+ in late 2019, the company’s streaming business has expanded rapidly, with 179m total subscriptions across Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu as of the end of fiscal 2021, and plans to more than double the number of countries Disney+ is in to over 160 by fiscal 2023. Disney is also investing significantly in the creation of original local and regional content for its streaming services, with more than 340 titles already in various stages of development and production.
Campbell added: “Great content is what drives the success of our streaming services, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work even more closely with the talented creators in our international markets who are producing new stories with local relevance to delight our audiences around the globe. Disney is admired the world over for the quality of our storytelling and the deep emotional connection we have with our consumers, and I am honoured to continue leading our international teams as we build on that legacy.”
Daniel added: “From the inception of our DTC business, we have been guided by a single, clear goal–to bring audiences the best entertainment wherever and whenever they choose–and we have continued to build a world-class team to deliver on that promise. Michael Paull has deep experience in the world of streaming, and is an accomplished leader with a passion for this business and a proven track record of building and expanding our streaming operations. Bringing Disney’s streaming platforms together under Michael’s expert leadership will allow us to create an even more compelling value proposition for consumers.”
Paull joined Disney in 2017 as part of the acquisition of Bamtech Media, where he served as CEO, and he and his team have been central to the company’s pivot into the direct-to-consumer space, launching ESPN+ in 2018, followed by the launch and rapid global expansion of Disney+ in 2019, and the launch of Star+ in Latin America in August 2021. Prior to Bamtech, Paull spent five years at Amazon as Vice President, Digital Video, where he ran Amazon Channels worldwide, and he has held a number of other senior leadership positions at leading media companies over the course of his 20-plus year career.
Paull stated: “Now that we have established our platforms as category leaders, I’m looking forward to the new challenges ahead as we continue to innovate and scale globally, while delighting consumers with all the incredible entertainment and sports programming coming from our content partners. I’ve also had the pleasure of working closely with Joe Earley these past few years and can’t imagine a better leader to take the helm of Hulu.”
In his new role as President of Hulu, Earley will build on the general-entertainment service’s reputation as a marquee destination for popular, award-winning original series and films, and live TV. Earley joined Disney+ in January of 2019 as Executive Vice President of Marketing and Operations, and in January of 2021 added oversight of global content curation for the flagship streaming service. Prior to joining Disney+, Earley served as President of The Jackal Group, where he oversaw all areas of the studio’s television, film, commercial theatre and digital divisions. Prior to that, he served in numerous roles in his two-decade career with Fox, where he last served as Chief Operating Officer for Fox Television Group.
Earley commented: “I am excited to embark on this new era at Hulu, a streaming pioneer that over the past 15 years has distinguished itself with an unrivalled offering of groundbreaking, award-winning series and films from our talented content partners. I have been a longtime Hulu subscriber and fan and have admired the unbridled creativity of the service’s content and culture, and I’m looking forward to the exciting opportunities that lie ahead, collaborating with our content studios, and tapping into the full power and strength of The Walt Disney company.”


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Congress is searching for ways to prevent not-so-legitimate patent holders from collecting billions in settlements from vulnerable companies.
In recent days, the term “patent troll” has creeped into the nation’s lexicon. Sens. Patrick Leahy D-Vt.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) of the Senate Judiciary Committee have penned an op-ed at Politico calling for reforms to the 2011 Leahy-Smith America Invents Act towards the elimination of fraudulent patent infringement claims — so-called “patent trolling.”
“Rather than incentivizing the creation of the next-generation iPhone or a lifesaving drug, they are misusing patents by suing unsuspecting consumers and extorting settlements,” wrote Leahy and Lee. “In some cases, patent abusers who maintain that a Wi-Fi router infringes on their patents have sued hotels or small coffee shops that bought the routers, instead of the routers’ manufacturers. If the patent holder has a legitimate claim, it is against the company that makes the router, not the small business that bought it, yet retailers are being targeted in a pressure quest for easy settlements.”
The senators are not alone in their complaints about “patent trolling.” In Nebraska, for example, State Attorney General Jon Bruning (R) has presented arguments detailing the practice as being in violation of the state’s unfair corruption law last week.
In a letter to Farney Daniels LLP, who represents a number of companies in several Nebraska “patent trolling” cases, Bruning wrote,
The protection of Nebraska consumers and businesses from baseless harassment, particularly that which bears the potential for costly and destructive litigation, is a top priority of this office. We view as especially egregious threats which serve to advance no valid legal purpose of the legitimate protection of productive intellectual property, but, rather, seek only to extract quick settlements from those otherwise committed to building their businesses and providing positive value to society. We will use every means at our disposal to prevent such conduct and deter its future occurrence.
In response to Bruning’s letter, Farney Daniels added the attorney general as a defendant in an Activision suit against a Nebraska bank on the basis that Bruning presented a threat against Activision’s constitutional rights, including the right to counsel of its choice.
Bruning publicly has stated that he has no grievance with Activision and that his statement was not aimed at the company. Instead, Bruning was going after MPHJ Technologies, another Farney Daniels client who sued the buyers of office equipment with functions such as direct scan-to-email on the basis that MPHJ owned the patent to that technology. MPHJ allegedly did so under shell companies with names such as AdzPro, GosNel and JitNom, which according to Mac Rust, a MPHJ lawyer who spoke to an unrevealed source, as published by Ars Technica, are spread across the nation to mitigate the need to argue every MPHJ case in Delaware, the company’s incorporating state.
MPHJ — who in no way helped developed the technology — purchased the patent from the technology developer, Project Paperless. Anonymously and through their lawyers, the principals behind MPHJ bring suit against companies that use scanners and copiers with a “scan-to-email” function, demanding a $900 to $1,200 “licensing fee” per worker at the targeted office to avoid an infringement suit.
Nebraska is not the only state to catch on to MPHJ’s scheme. In Vermont, Attorney General William Sorrell filed suit against MPHJ and Minnesota’s Attorney General Lori Swanson forced a $50,000 civil penalty from MPHJ and a return of all “licensing fees” gathered from Minnesotan businesses.
For the most part, MPHJ’s scheme revolves around the legal but ethically challenged threat of suing an end-user for unauthorized use of a patented technology. “The very nature of Farney Daniel’s wide patent solicitation campaign depends on filing suits rarely, if ever,” Bruning argued. “Lawsuits risk the invalidity of the patent, which would collapse the entire scheme. Rather, Farney Daniels has a strong incentive not to sue, and if they do sue, not to serve summons or otherwise prosecute the case fully, always giving it the option of dismissing a complaint.”
In suing the end-user — who is not aware of the patent infringement — and not the manufacturer — who actually infringed the patent but who is in a better position to fight and possibly invalidate the patent — the company can blackmail an endless number of targets. In practical terms, anyone who owns a home printer with a “scan-to-email” function — which covers almost the whole of the mid-range to upper-range printer market — could be targeted, although MPHJ has limited its scope to employers of ten employees or more.
The big business of patent litigation
In recent years, “trolling” has become big business. In 2011, over 5,000 businesses have been targeted in “patent troll” lawsuits, costing over $29 billion out-of-pocket, with another $80 billion in indirect costs.
“A patent troll uses patents as legal weapons, instead of actually creating any new products or coming up with new ideas,” wrote the Electronic Frontier Foundation. “Instead, trolls are in the business of litigation (or even just threatening litigation). They often buy up patents cheaply from companies down on their luck who are looking to monetize what resources they have left, such as patents. Unfortunately, the Patent Office has a habit of issuing patents for ideas that are neither new nor revolutionary, and these patents can be very broad, covering everyday or common sense types of computing – things that should never have been patented in the first place. Armed with these overbroad and vague patents, the troll will then send out threatening letters to those they argue infringe their patent(s).”
Software and the Internet have been especially prone to “trolling,” due to ambiguous nature several different pieces of code can produce similar results, resulting in a perceived patent-infringement. Many of the infringements involve “business method patents,” or low-quality patents covering vaguely-worded “old ways” of doing a business function — such as promoting a discount or applying for a job online — that is now done via the Internet. Due to the vagueness of the claim, there is a real risk that the infringement claim may be approved, so many companies accept the lesser loss of a “settlement” over legal costs and possible damages.
For example, Erik Lieberman of the Food Marketing Institute told NPR about a case in which a troll accused J.C. Penney, Foot Locker, American Eagle Outfitters, Macy’s and other stores of using JPEG files in their emails and on their websites. The troll seeks infringement damages from all business users of JPEG — an industry standard for displaying photos online.
It is estimated by the Internet Association that the total damage of “patent trolling” to the American economy has exceeded half a trillion dollars in the last twenty years, with more than half of this — $320 billion — lost in the last four years alone.
Corralling the “trolls”
Congress and the president are pushing for legislation that would mandate that patent ownership is clear, valid and regularly updated — particularly in cases before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office — and that would protect end-buyers from litigation for buying an “off-the-shelf” patent-infringing product. Bills have also been introduced that would make legal fees the responsibility of the suing patent-holder if they lose their infringement cases and force the PTO to improve the quality of software patents.
Ultimately, Washington wants to avoid the kind of headache that faced Carbonite. A shell company called Oasis Research attempted to sue Carbonite for $20 million in damages. Oasis Research is a locked, empty office, and 90 percent of its net profit goes to Intellectual Ventures, who pays Chris Crawford 17.5 percent for being the patents’ registrant.
While there is a real need for such protections, there is the possibility that such legislation could be misused and misconstrued. Any legislation that can punish a service manufacturer for delivering licensed or protected goods can be used, for example, to block Bittorrent sites or viewer-content sites, such as YouTube.
In all of this, what is needed is a consumer-forward approach that will first and principally protect the consumer and society at large. American inventors must be free to create, American businesses must be free to operate and American consumers must be free to buy without the fear of blackmail or frivolous litigation if this country is to grow.
“The result of this misuse of the patent system is a drag on our economy,” wrote Leahy and Lee. “It also tarnishes the image of legitimate patent holders. This is not the patent system provided for in our Constitution.”


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Earlier this week, we shared the news with you that The Little Cottage in The Factory in Franklin was moving. Initially, they will relocate to a temporary space down the hallway.
In January, The Little Cottage will be moving to their permanent location across the street from The Factory to Jamison Square.
While speculation has been made from others, The Little Cottage posted a comment on our site stating that their move makes way for The Pharmacy.
On the Williamson Source Facebook page, The Little Cottage stated, “Thank You!! The Pharmacy burgers will occupy our old space – We are loving our temporary home just down the hall! We are also launching a brand new website here shortly. Come see us.”
That all means that The Pharmacy would occupy the former Lyrics Restaurant space along with The Little Cottage space.
Plans for the restaurant space have been submitted to the City of Franklin but no construction has begun in The Factory as of yet.
We can only hope that progress is moving forward and soon we can grab a burger at The Factory.
Good news: MAFIAoZA’s, which has been working on a location in the building in front of the Factory, held a job fair this week. While they haven’t announced a grand opening date, we can only hope that it will be very soon.


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Corporate cousins CBS News and Showtime are teaming up to
launch a new sports-themed news magazine, 60 Minutes of Sports.
The company says it is the first time original 60 Minutes segments will
appear on a cable network.
The monthly show is set to debut in November on
Showtime. Executive producers will be Jeff Fager and 60 Minutes executive
editor Bill Owens.
The planned format will include two original pieces --
handled by a dedicated unit of producers -- and an in-studio interview as well
as one updated archive 60 Minutes piece.
"This is an exciting opportunity for all of us at 60 Minutes," said Fager in a
statement. "Our Showtime edition will offer the same high-quality,
original reporting and great storytelling our viewers have come to expect every
Sunday night on CBS."
"Today is a seminal moment in the 25-year history of
Showtime Sports," said Showtime sports chief Stephen Espinoza in a
statement. "60 Minutes is the
pioneer of this genre. Adding the most well-known and highly respected brand in
television to the growing line up of Showtime original sports programming
exponentially increases the value proposition for our subscribers."
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The remotes will be available in the spring.
Netflix says the list of companies that will make the remotes for some new Blu-ray players include Best Buy's in-house Dynex brand, Memorex, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba. Blu-ray devices can connect to the Internet.
Sharp, Sony and Toshiba will also place the Netflix button on some new Internet-connected TVs.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.